Your dog understands your cues and communication more than you may have imagined. A study proves that this smartness is related to their genetics, and this varies between the breeds. This is why you find some pet parents being proud of their dog’s extraordinary intelligence.
Science says your dog might be as smart as a 2-year-old child. If your dog knows how to steal treats with their agility and obedience, they are already on the list of fastest learners because they can even learn from your gaze, gestures, and environment.
If you are a new pet parent and are looking for breeds that are easy to train to perform amusing tricks like “spin,” “bow,” or “wave.” You will find here the top most intelligent dog breeds that can learn tricks the fastest.
Dog Breeds that can Learn Tricks the Fastest
Ever wondered why some dog breeds pick up tricks instantly, while others are clueless about it? This not only depends on the training, but some dogs are bred specifically as guide dogs, service dogs, and military working dogs due to their intelligence, agility, and skills.
Here are the ten most trainable dog breeds:
1. Border collie
Considered the smartest dog breed due to their high agility and obedience. They are super energetic and need new adventures around them. Britannica states that they are keenly observant about their environment and were originally bred as herding dogs.
Sharp Memory
An experimental study in 2011 showed that a border named Chaser was able to learn more than 1,000 proper nouns in English. Amazing, right?
They have one of the highest IQ levels among other dog breeds. They learn with just a few repetitive commands and stimulations. They learn and adapt from their previous experiences.
Do you know that the border named “Sweet Pea” set a world record in 2008 by balancing a can on her head while walking 100 meters in 2 minutes and 55 seconds.” This quirky achievement shows how focused and trainable the breed is.
Agility and obedience
They show sharp responses against commands and clearly understand the cues and training guide. With the right training, a Border can act as a great family dog.
2. Golden retriever
Golden retrievers are one of the most beloved and stunning dog breeds, known for their cheerful, eager-to-please personalities. They’re playful, occasionally a little mischievous, and always find creative ways to keep themselves entertained. As puppies, their curiosity knows no bounds—they’ll happily chew on anything from a sock to a stone!
Adaptive Intelligence
They adapt to their surroundings and past experience. They understand feelings and human nature and the facial expressions of their owners better than any other dog breed, which helps them solve problems like finding hidden treats. They are considered great family pets because their socializing behavior and positive reinforcement training from an early age help the dog learn new tricks.
Strong Sniffing Sensitivity:
Golden Retrievers are from the hunting breeds and work directly in the police and military forces as sniffer dogs for searching for people, drugs, and bombs. They can differentiate different scents and can cover an area effectively, which would take almost 10 human officers to cover in the same time. Being a hunting dog, it has a natural instinct to fetch and dock dive.
3. Papillon
This small dog breed is meant to cutely manipulate you with their butterfly-shaped ears. WebMD mentions that this whip-smart breed has a long history of excellent companionship. Due to their friendly nature, obedience training is easy for them, and with simple commands, they eagerly learn new tricks.
Socializing Abilities
Papillon is highly recommended for first-time pet parents and families with children. They are easy to communicate with and are mostly used as therapy dogs because of their snuggling and emotional attachment characteristics.
Easy Training
Omlet states that Papillons are smart, eager, and a joy to train. They love learning new tricks and thrive on making their owners proud, which makes training a breeze. With a mix of praise, play, and positive reinforcement, they pick up commands quickly and happily. This breed not only enjoys the challenge but also relishes the attention that comes with it.
4. German Shepherd
One of the highly trainable dog breeds that is mostly used in police forces. The German Shepherd dog is a bold, intelligent, and confident breed. With positive reinforcement and reward-based training, it can learn complex tricks easily. They have been used as guide dogs for blind and low-sighted people.
Working Intelligence
Their working intelligence was acknowledged after World War I, when German Shepherds were utilized for transporting bandages, delivering messages, working as guard dogs, and keeping company with soldiers who had been fatally wounded.
Super Intelligent Nature
They have an alert, intelligent nature, which makes them an easily trained breed. They are always open to new adventures and have great problem-solving skills. If kept indoors, puzzle toys and new stimulus is required to keep them busy and their minds activated.
5. Doberman Pinscher
Doberman Pinscher is a large dog breed with high intelligence and an IQ level. They are extremely loyal to their owners and usually rank first in obedience competitions with other dog breeds.
Curious and Perceptive
They are very clever and have a strong desire to learn new tricks and work with their owners eagerly. They are curious as puppies, but when adults, they are perceptive. They are quick learners and can also easily differentiate between their friends and enemies, hence sometimes considered aggressive.
Full of Energy
They have a sharp need for mental and physical stimulation, which makes them the easiest-to-train dog breeds. Puzzle toys, complex and advanced tricks like “under the bridge.”
6. English Springer Spaniel
Named for the way they “spring” at a game, the English springer spaniel is an easily trainable people-pleaser dog breed due to its playfulness and friendliness. They are a family-oriented breed and live happily with other pets.
Agility Intelligence
They get bored with repetitive commands and need consistent training methods to train them on new tricks. They look to radiate their energy and show you their new skills and abilities. Petplan explains that due to their agility and eagerness to learn, they will be more than happy to show your guests at parties their newly learnt tricks like shake, spin, and roll over.
Food Motivated
Food is a powerful motivator for this playful breed, so keep some tasty training treats on hand. They also respond well to toys, making both snacks and playtime great tools for positive reinforcement.
7. Labrador Retriever
Labradors are famously friendly and great companions. They are a highly intelligent and fiercely loyal breed. They are hunting dogs that instinctively add vigilance and are eager to learn new skills in their nature.
Guide Dogs
Labradors have strong working intelligence, which means they can think for themselves when needed. This helps them guide people who are lost or in danger. They’re very obedient, but also smart enough to make their own decisions in tricky situations. AKC explains how these abilities enable the Labrador to quickly grasp from the environment.
Cognitive Abilities
They are good around children and new people, and make sure to be emotionally available to you and be attentive towards you when needed. So it is easy to train them to do “sit pretty” and “shake” tricks. With some reassurance, they eagerly show enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. They can be easily trained with reward and treat-based training methods.
8. Miniature Schnauzer
It is a small, friendly breed that is easy to train from an early age. Originally bred as a watchdog, they have alertness in their genes. Miniature Schnauzer requires consistent training and revisions of commands to learn tricks.
Quick Learning Ability
Dr. Corren did some intelligence tests, and in these tests, the miniature understood commands after five to 15 repetitions and obeyed previously learned commands on the first try 85% of the time. This explains their desire to please nature and work on understanding the cues quickly. They are easy to adapt to houses with children and other pets.
Strong willed
Miniature Schnauzers are smart little dogs who love learning tricks, especially when it means getting your attention. But they can be a bit strong-willed and sometimes pretend not to hear you (hello, selective hearing!). That’s why it’s a good idea to start recall training early to keep them listening when it matters most.
9. Rottweiler
The royal breed is known for its intelligence, loyalty, courage, and confidence. Rottweiler is a smart dog breed that responds quickly when trained. They are very active and need physical and mental stimulation to keep their minds busy. They can learn through your gestures and gaze where you have their treats hidden.
Obedience competitors
Rottweiler is not a social breed and stays highly alert of its surroundings and people. They are quick learners and grasp complex skills because they are protective, so they tend to train as much as they can to be obedient to their owner only. They need wholehearted obedience training, and they love it.
Smart Guardians
Rottweilers are not only excellent watchdogs but also naturally protective, making them great guard dogs. They’re relatively easy to train, especially with early socialization. It’s important to expose them to different people and other dogs while they’re still young, so they grow up to be confident and well-mannered companions.
10. Shetland sheepdog
This is a small dog breed which is also known as a Sheltie. As the name suggests, it is from the herding group of dogs, and due to natural instincts of alertness and management, they are considered one of the most easily trainable dog breeds.
Beauty with Brains
They are gentle and very sensitive to the mood and needs of their owner. They act accordingly as gentle but alert. They learn basic tricks like “sit” and “stay” easily. For advanced tricks, they need positive assurance and reward-based training, which provides clear commands to make it easy for them to understand and respond.
Obedient and Docile
The Shetland Sheepdog is incredibly obedient, eager to please, and a breeze to train. With their gentle, devoted nature and almost human-like intelligence, they make wonderful companions for adults and gentle children alike. Shelties truly shine in obedience training and love being part of the family.
Conclusion
Every dog breed has different characteristics from other breeds. Some breeds bring to the table beauty with brains and are emotionally supportive, such as Golden retriever, Labrador retriever, and Papillon, while some are protective and easier to train dog breeds, such as Border collie and Doberman Pinscher.
Within these listed breeds, you can easily find the one that fits your needs. Training puppies with basic tricks from an early age makes it easier for pet parents to train their dogs advanced tricks easily in later life.
Training dogs requires calmness and patience, which rewards you in the end with a happy, playful dog who grants snacks post-dinner with their amazing tricks. If your dog made it to the list, it’s time for a small treat.
